TEHRAN – The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday saying the Zionist regime of Israel is the main source of all crises in the Middle East region and a real threat to international peace.

The statement was released on the occasion of the Nakba Day, which marks the anniversary of the establishment of the illegitimate Zionist regime of Israel.

Following is the full text of the statement published by the Foreign Ministry’s website:

The Palestinian land witnessed one of the most painful incidents in the history of Islam and the world on May 14, 1948. Ever since, the people of this territory have not savoured the taste of tranquility and calm. Seventy-one years ago on that day, a group of individuals, using racist and deviant ideas and thoughts as a pretext, killed or displaced the native people of Palestine, including innocent men and women, young and old, as well as children. In the history of the resistant nation of Palestine, this event is known as Nakba Day, which means the day of disaster and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

On Nakba Day, an illegitimate entity called the Zionist regime [of Israel] supported by the United States came into being by occupying the Palestinian land and continued to exist with war, crime and occupation, and has turned into the main source of all regional crises and a real threat to international peace and security.

While expressing its full solidarity with the cause of Palestinian people, the Islamic Republic of Iran once again reiterates the key responsibility of the international community, especially the United Nations, to put an end to the organized occupation of the Palestinian territory and holy Quds and to help the people of this land determine their destiny and establish an independent Palestinian state with al-Quds as its capital.

More than seven decades on since the [start of the] occupation of the historical Palestinian land, international circles are expected to take major steps to end the occupation, crimes and incessant acts of aggression by the Zionist regime and set the stage for the return of Palestinian refugees to their motherland and for holding a referendum attended by all major owners of this territory, including Muslims, Christians and Jews, in order to determine the type of their political system.

NA/PA